The disclosure herein relates generally to actuators for spray containers and methods of manufacturing actuators for spray containers.
Spray containers containing many different components or contents such as, e.g., paint, adhesives, corrosives, lubricants, insect repellents, hairsprays, creams, edibles, foams, etc. have been marketed for many household, commercial, and industrial purposes.
In certain conventional spray containers, an actuator apparatus may include a tubular valve stem element biased into a closed position which, when depressed into the body of the container opens the valve and releases the contents which are held under pressure. When the applied force at the valve stem is removed, the valve stem returns to its closed position simultaneously stopping the outward flow of the pressurized contents of the container. For example, in one type of spray container, the actuator apparatus may include a button fitted directly over the valve stem such that when the button is depressed, the valve stem is simultaneously depressed or tilted against a spring bias causing the contents of the container to be released via an outlet. Release of the pressure at the button returns the valve stem to its equilibrium position. Often, a protective cover is fitted over the top of the spray container covering the actuator apparatus and is removed before use. Such protective covers may then be placed back over the actuator apparatus, e.g., for safe storage.
In another type of spray container, an actuator apparatus may include a cap having a button or trigger. By depressing the button or trigger, the contents of the spray container may be sprayed, e.g., through an opening in the cap. Often, the button or trigger is not protected from accidental depression by a user.
Lockable actuator apparatuses have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,722 to Clark et al., U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2005/0017027 to Yerby et al., and U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2007/0039979 to Strand et al. disclose various lockable actuators for spray containers. However, such designs may include many separate components and/or may be too complex such that the components and/or complexity may increase manufacturing problems (e.g., complex multi-piece molds, etc.), which may increase the cost of such actuators.